Sandown Bay Holiday Centre in in a picturesque location, bordering the coastal path and beaches to the South, with countryside to the East and North. Travel West and you come to Sandown town centre just a couple of minutes drive away.
The Crow's Nest chalet is located on the North side of the site, with views over countryside from the doorstep. For more details and pictures of the chalet itself, click here.
The site is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Scientific Interest, demonstrating the amazing location it sits amongst. There is a variety of wildlife around from cows in the fields to the North, to rabbits and birds on and around the site.
The site itself was originally a fort, built during the Napoleonic Wars to protect Sandown and the Channel. Now existing as a holiday venue, it has a total of 189 chalets on the site, but with plenty of green space around them. The chalets can now make the most of the privileged position that the fort had overseeing the bay. One of the criteria when the site was built was that it couldn't be seen from Sandown and so it has the lovely position of great views over the coast and countryside, but tucked away from view to the rest of the world.
The coastline bordering the site is South facing so benefits from maximum sunshine and with sandy beaches as well, it truly is a beautiful location. Just a 5 minute walk way brings you down to Yaverland Beach, sandy and regarded as one of the best beaches around. There's also a café for an all day breakfast or an ice cream.
The site is approximately 1 mile from Sandown town centre.
The maps below shows the site and it's immediate surroundings as well as the location of our chalet The Crow's Nest on the site.
Having evolved to now be a peaceful and tranquil site, the old clubhouse and laundry are due to be redeveloped in future to offer more facilities whilst keeping the calm and serene atmosphere that the surrounding benefit from. Of course shops, restaurants and pubs are all nearby in Sandown, and you can even get a supermarket delivery to your chalet to stock up on supplies for your stay.
Sandown sits on the Southern coast of the Isle of Wight, sheltered in a beautiful bay, and is famed for its long stretches of golden sandy beach and the traditional British seafront and pier. More information is below, but this interactive map will allow you to navigate some of the local feautres in and around Sandown:
Things To Do in Sandown
Sandown has lots of things to do for people of all ages and interests. You can relax and spend quality time strolling along Sandown Beach followed by an ice cream or refreshments at one of the beach cafés.
The main town beach stretches all the way along the Esplanade where it meets with Yaverland Beach, which is regarded as one of the Isle of Wight’s best beaches. Yaverland is very popular for watersports, and there are a number of local water sports centres from which you can test your skills at windsurfing, kayaking or many other activities.
With one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur fossils anywhere in the world, the Isle of Wight has been dubbed "Dinosaur Island". The area around Sandown Bay is a fun place for fossil hunting, so with a keen eye you could be leaving with a very special, very old souvenir. You can also visit the Dinosaur museum to explore more of the Isle of Wight’s dinosaur history.
One of the town’s most well-known features is the traditional Sandown Pier. There is a range of traditional amusements and arcade games, with bowling, crazy golf and cafes to keep adults and children entertained for hours.
Further along the seafront the Isle of Wight Zoo is one of the Island’s leading animal attractions, with everything from Lions and Tigers to Meer Kats and Monkeys, and a short distance outside of Sandown town is Amazon World which also has a huge range of animals.
Places To Eat in Sandown
Being a traditional British seaside destination there is no shortage of places to grab an ice cream and snacks along the seafront in Sandown, but there is also plenty of choice for places to eat elsewhere in the town. There are some good pubs and restaurants selling a range of different cuisines, and if you travel just outside of the town there are also a number of highly respected eateries, such as the Garlic Farm Café at Newchurch.
Events in Sandown
Sandown hosts one of the oldest carnivals which dates back to 1889, and it is also one of the most well-known on the Isle of Wight. With day processions and an illuminated evening event the Sandown carnival usually takes place at some point during the months of July or August.
Other events are always being organised by the local community around major celebrations such as Christmas and Fireworks Night.
Getting Around Sandown
Sandown has excellent bus and train services and makes an excellent base for a visit to the Isle of Wight. Bus services can take you either northwards to Brading and Ryde, south to Shanklin and Ventnor, or across the Island to Godshill, Newport and Cowes, whilst the Island Line train services run to the neighbouring town of Shanklin or North to Ryde where they connect with passenger ferry services to Portsmouth.
You can find out more information about Sandown here. A more detailed interactive map of the sights around Sandown can be found here.
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest and second-most populous island in England. It is in the English Channel, about 2 miles off the coast of Hampshire, separated by the Solent. The island has resorts that have been holiday destinations since Victorian times, and is known for its mild climate, coastal scenery, and verdant landscape of fields, downland and chines.
Things To Do
The Isle of Wight packs an amazing volume and variety of attractions for all the family, whether you are looking for entertainment, culture or adventure and whether you are 8 or 80. The map below shows some of the main attractions around the island.
For more information on all aspects of the Isle of Wight, click here. For more information on many of the attractions on the Isle of Wight, click here for an interactive map.
If you have any questions about our chalet and it's location, please Contact Us and we'll be happy to help 🙂